Optical imaging of in vivo adoptive T-cell therapy: State of the art and challenges

Abstract

Adoptive T-cell therapy (ACT), which is an important type of live cell therapy, has achieved unprecedented success in treating hematological malignancies. Recent studies have shown that ACT is also a promising treatment for solid tumors. Visualizing the in vivo fates (distribution, homing, infiltration, proliferation, and exhaustion) of the immune cells used for ACT (ACT immune cells) is of great importance to promote basic research and clinical translation of ACT. Optical imaging techniques, including bioluminescence, fluorescence, and photoacoustic imaging, have the advantages of high sensitivity, high spatiotemporal resolution, minimal exposure to harmful radiation, and simple instrumentation. Recently, various types of optical imaging probes, including bioluminescence, fluorescence, and photoacoustic imaging probes, have been used to visualize ACT immune cells in vivo and evaluate the molecular mechanism, efficacy, and side effects of ACT. In this review, the optical imaging probes and labeling methods that have been used for in vivo visualization of ACT immune cells are summarized, and the opportunities and challenges of using optical imaging to visualize ACT immune cells in vivo are discussed.